Rick Perry and W. Bryan Hubbard ask Joe Rogan to seek presidential meeting
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · May 4
Rick Perry and W. Bryan Hubbard ask Joe Rogan to seek presidential meeting
9 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · May 4
The request came after Rogan taped them in late March, as Perry and Hubbard pressed for White House attention to psychedelic treatments including ibogaine.
The report highlights growing Republican support for psychedelics for mental health treatment, a shift from decades of backing a hardline war on drugs.
High-profile advocates and military veterans have helped drive that change, arguing such drugs could aid people with trauma and other mental health conditions.
A presidential order has legitimized psychedelic medicine. Are we on the cusp of a mental health revolution?
With known fatal risks, can a fast-tracked psychedelic treatment truly be a safe bet for veterans?
Will new psychedelic therapies succeed if the social safety nets for recovery are dismantled?
Federal Push for Ibogaine Therapy: Balancing Breakthrough Mental Health Treatment and Social Service Cuts
Overview
On April 18, 2026, President Trump signed an Executive Order to accelerate federal research and access to psychedelic treatments, especially ibogaine, targeting serious mental illnesses like PTSD among veterans. This policy shift was driven by a coalition of advocates including Joe Rogan, Rick Perry, and Bryan Hubbard, motivated by the urgent veterans' mental health crisis and promising early scientific evidence. The order directs agencies like the FDA to fast-track clinical trials and mandates collaboration for drug approval and rescheduling. While the initiative aims to transform mental healthcare and reduce stigma, it faces challenges from ibogaine's safety risks and political contradictions, as social service cuts threaten the broader support veterans need for lasting recovery.